BUFFALO, N.Y.—Jimmy Flex did laps outside the perimeter of the Rogers Centre trying to find Taylor Swift tickets with his 15-year-old son Jesse on Friday night and was feeling left out.
Inside the stadium, his wife, Kerry, and 11-year-old daughter Isabella were watching the first of six Toronto shows as part of Swift’s historic Eras Tour. The family from Galveston, Tex., had bought plane tickets six months ago with hopes they’d be able to score concert tickets. Four days before opening night, they secured a pair and decided the girls would attend.
That didn’t sit well with Flex.
“After two songs, he bought tickets for him and our son and they came in as well,” Kerry said, admitting that in their family, dad and daughter are the biggest Swifties.
For the Flex family and many others — the majority of which weren’t lucky enough to attend a sold-out show — the glitter and glam that swept Toronto from Thursday to Saturday was only the first act of a memorable weekend. With Swift’s boyfriend Travis Kelce and his Kansas City Chiefs playing against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, thousands of Swifties took the opportunity to bring their fandom to Buffalo, hoping to catch a glimpse of the international megastar.
“We travelled almost 12 hours from South Carolina, and only came hoping she’d be here today,” said Shelby Winship. Her daughter, Shaelie, is a big Swift fan, as indicated by her sweater that said “I’m just here for Trav and Tay.”
The Winships were far from alone in their optimistic attempts to feel included in the end of Swift’s tour, which was expected to bring up to 500,000 visitors to Toronto before concluding in Vancouver in December.
Pamela Cordeiro of Etobicoke told a Star reporter on Friday that since she couldn’t land concert tickets, she would be making the trip to Buffalo with her daughter, who’s in Grade 4, just to try and get eyes on Swift.
“I got tickets on both sides of the stadium,” Cordeiro said. The thinking was she might be able to get a look inside Swift’s suite from one of them. “I’m actually a little wild.”
Swift has famously been going to Chiefs games since she started dating Kelce in the summer of 2023. While she has yet to attend an away game for the Chiefs this season, many assumed that with her Eras Tour entering a halftime break on Sunday before finishing the Toronto dates — three additional shows from Thursday to Sunday this week — she would make an appearance at the game. The fact that she watched a playoff game from the suites of Buffalo’s Highmark Stadium in January only fuelled speculation.
But a few minutes into Sunday’s 30-21 Bills win over the Chiefs, Swift wasn’t shown on the CBS broadcast like she normally is. As the game went on it became clear that the singer, to the surprise of many, was not in attendance.
Swifties young and old may have been left disappointed by the absence of their favourite celebrity, especially those who travelled long way for a chance to see her. But while the singer was not physically there, somehow, even at a highly-anticipated, higher-stakes NFL game between two bitter rivals, for those that were looking for it, Swift’s presence could still be felt.
Among the sold-out crowd that resembled a sea of blue — the many sparkly shirts and pants donned by Bills fans were not unlike the extravagant outfits worn by concertgoers in Toronto this week — signs of both support and contempt for the singer were everywhere.
“Rooting against Taylor’s boyfriend,” read one poster. “Josh Allen is our Taylor Swift,” another said about the Bills quarterback.
The dozens of signs leaning into the playful Swift-Bills rivalry were severely outnumbered by the Eras Tour sweatshirts, concert posters and inflated pictures of Swift’s face.
Swift has been a polarizing figure in the football world since she started supporting Kelce and the Chiefs on their run to a Super Bowl championship in February. But if this Bills game, sprinkled with a dash of Toronto’s version of the Eras Tour, showed anything on Sunday, it’s that there’s enough room for everyone to enjoy a game, no matter which team — or which person — they’re there to see.
“Sports and music can be separate,” said Swiftie and Bills fan Jake Wagner. “But I love the fact that Swifties are getting a little more involved in football, and vice versa, I think that’s a good thing.”
It’s been a good thing for many families, too.
“It really helps daughters and fathers bond,” said Brandie Scinta who shares her fandom with her mother and daughter. “I’ve known my husband for 13 years, but (Taylor has) helped bring them together as well. He will play Taylor Swift music at home with her. I think she’s able to bring families together in general.”
Kyle Harper can relate to that. He grew up in Buffalo, a city that lives and breathes with its beloved Bills. He now resides in Florida with his son, Charlie, who has different interests like science, birds and Taylor Swift.
The worlds of Swifties and Bills Mafia colliding in Buffalo on Sunday gave the father and son a weekend trip to remember.
“With Charlie being a Taylor Swift fan, I said, ‘Hey, why don’t you come watch a Chiefs game? Taylor Swift might be there,’” Harper said.
“Well, of course, I have to tell everybody in Buffalo I’m a horrible father for turning my son into a Chiefs fan. But it’s great because he’s excited about being here and I just want us to see a wonderful game.”
It was a game that ended in a win for the home team, sending the majority of fans home happy.
And for those who weren’t, whether they were Chiefs fans or Swifties who didn’t get the sighting they hoped for in Buffalo, their next opportunity is only around the corner. The Toronto portion of the Eras Tour resumes Thursday.
